VOICESERVE, INC.
EQUITY INCENTIVE
PLAN
1.
Purpose . The purpose of the plan is to provide incentives
to attract, retain and motivate eligible persons whose present and
potential contributions are important to the success of VOICESERVE,
INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), by
offering them an opportunity to participate in the Company’s
future performance through awards of Options and Restricted Stock.
Capitalized terms not defined in the text are defined in Section
22.
2.
Shares Subject to the Plan; Per-Person Award
Limitation.
2.1
Number of Shares Available . Subject to Sections 2.2 and 17,
the total number of Shares reserved and available for grant and
issuance pursuant to the Plan shall be Two Million (2,000,000)
Shares. Subject to Sections 2.2 and 17, Shares shall again be
available for grant and issuance in connection with future Awards
under the Plan that: (a) are subject to issuance upon exercise of
an Option but cease to be subject to such Option for any reason
other than exercise of such Option; (b) are subject to an Award
granted hereunder but are forfeited; or (c) are subject to an Award
that otherwise terminates without Shares being issued. Subject to
Sections 2.2 and 17, in no event shall the aggregate number of
Shares that may be issued pursuant to incentive stock options
exceed Two Million (2,000,000) Shares.
2.2
Adjustment of Shares . In the event that the number of
outstanding Shares is changed by a stock dividend,
recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, subdivision or
similar change in the capital structure of the Company without
consideration, then: (a) the number of Shares reserved for issuance
under the Plan; (b) the Exercise Prices of and number of Shares
subject to outstanding Options; and (c) the number of Shares
subject to other outstanding Awards shall be proportionately
adjusted, subject to any required action by the Board or the
shareholders of the Company and in compliance with applicable
securities laws.
2.3
Individual Award Limitation . Notwithstanding any other
provision in this Plan, and in addition to any requirements of this
Plan, the maximum number of Shares granted hereunder to any one
Participant may not exceed twenty percent (20%) of the total Shares
subject to the Plan (subject to adjustments as provided in Sections
2.2 and 17 hereof).
3.1 General . All Awards set forth herein
may be granted to employees, officers, directors, consultants and
advisors of the Company or Affiliate of the Company, provided such
consultants and advisors render bona fide services not in
connection with the offer and sale of securities in a
capital-raising transaction. A person may be granted more than one
Award under the Plan.
4.1 Compensation Committee . The Plan
shall be administered by a committee ("Committee") appointed by the
Company's Board of Directors. The membership of the Committee shall
be constituted so as to comply at all times with the then
applicable requirements for “outside directors” of Rule
16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act and Section 162(m) of the
Code. Any determination made by the Committee with respect to any
Award shall be made in its sole discretion at the time of grant of
the Award or, unless in contravention of any express term of the
Plan or Award, at any later time, and such determination shall be
final and binding on the Company and all persons having an interest
in any Award under the Plan.
4.2 Committee Authority . Subject to the
general purposes, terms and conditions of the Board, the Committee
shall have full power to implement and carry out the Plan. The
Committee may delegate to one or more officers of the Company the
authority to make recommendations to grant an Award under the Plan
to Participants who are not Insiders of the Company. The Committee
shall have the authority to:
|
|
|
construe and interpret the Plan, any
Award Agreement and any other agreement or document executed
pursuant to the Plan;
|
|
|
|
recommend to the Board amendments to
the rules and regulations relating to the Plan;
|
|
|
|
select the persons to receive
Awards;
|
|
|
|
determine the form and terms of
Awards;
|
|
|
|
determine the number of Shares or
other consideration subject to Awards;
|
|
|
|
determine whether Awards will be
granted singly, in combination, in tandem with, in replacement of,
or as alternatives to, other Awards under the Plan or any other
incentive or compensation plan of the Company or Affiliate of the
Company;
|
|
|
|
determine the granting of certain
waivers of Plan or Award conditions;
|
|
|
|
determine the conditions concerning
the vesting, exercisability and payment of Awards;
|
|
|
|
recommend to the Board such matters
so as to correct any defect, supply any omission, or reconcile any
inconsistency in the Plan, any Award or any Award
Agreement;
|
|
|
|
determine whether an Award has been
earned; and
|
|
|
|
make all other determinations
necessary or advisable for the administration of the
Plan.
|
4.3 Exchange Act Requirements . If the
Company is subject to the Exchange Act, the Company will take
appropriate steps to comply with the disinterested director
requirements of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, including but
not limited to, the appointment by the Board of a committee
consisting of not less than two persons (who are members of the
Board), each of whom is a Disinterested Person.
4.4 Address of Committee . The
Committee’s address to which any correspondence or
notifications may be sent or given is:
Grosvenor House, 1 High Street
Middlesex England HA8 7TA
Attn: Chief Executive
Officer
5. Options . The Committee may grant
Options to eligible persons and shall determine whether such
Options shall be Incentive Stock Options within the meaning of the
Code (“ISO”) or Nonqualified Stock Options
(“NQSO”), the number of Shares subject to the Option,
the Exercise Price of the Option, the period during which the
Option may be exercised, and all other terms and conditions of the
Option, subject to the following:
5.1 Form of Option Grant . Each Option
granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement
which shall expressly identify the Option as an ISO or NQSO
(“Stock Option Agreement”), and be in such form and
contain such provisions (which need not be the same for each
Participant) as the Committee shall from time to time approve, and
which shall comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions
of the Plan.
5.2 Date of Grant . The date of grant of
an Option shall be the date on which the Committee makes the
determination to grant such Option, unless otherwise specified by
the Committee. The Stock Option Agreement and a copy of the Plan
will be delivered to the Participant within a reasonable time after
the granting of the Option.
5.3 Exercise Period . Options shall be
exercisable within the times or upon the events determined by the
Committee as set forth in the Stock Option Agreement; provided,
however, that no Option shall be exercisable after the expiration
of ten (10) years from the date the Option is granted, and provided
further that no Option granted to a person who directly or by
attribution owns more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined
voting power of all classes of stock of the Company (“Ten
Percent Shareholder”) shall be exercisable after the
expiration of five (5) years from the date the Option is granted.
The Committee also may provide for the Options to become
exercisable at one time or from time to time, periodically or
otherwise, in such number or percentage as the Committee
determines.
5.4 Exercise Price . The Exercise Price
shall be determined by the Committee when the Option is granted and
may be not less than the par value of a Share on the date of grant
provided that: (i) the Exercise Price of an ISO shall be not less
than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the
Shares on the date of grant; (ii) the Exercise Price of any ISO
granted to a Ten Percent Shareholder shall not be less than one
hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of the Shares
on the date of grant; and (iii) the Exercise Price of any option
granted that the Committee intends to qualify under Section 162(m)
of the Code, shall not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of
the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant. Payment
for the Shares purchased may be made in accordance with Section 7
of the Plan.
5.5 Method of Exercise . Options may be
exercised only by delivery to the Company of a written stock option
exercise agreement (the “Exercise Agreement”) in a form
approved by the Committee (which need not be the same for each
Participant), stating the number of Shares being purchased, the
restrictions imposed on the Shares, if any, and such
representations and agreements regarding Participant’s
investment intent and access to information and other matters, if
any, as may be required or desirable by the Company to comply with
applicable securities laws, together with payment in full of the
Exercise Price for the number of Shares being purchased.
5.6 Termination . Unless otherwise set
forth in the Stock Option Agreement, the exercise of an Option
shall be subject to the following:
(a) If the Participant is Terminated for any
reason except death or Disability, then Participant may exercise
such Participant’s Options only to the extent that such
Options would have been exercisable upon the Termination Date no
later than three (3) months after the Termination Date (or such
shorter time period as may be specified in the Stock Option
Agreement), but in any event, no later than the expiration date of
the Options.
(b) If the Participant is terminated because of
death or Disability (or the Participant dies within three (3)
months of such termination), then Participant’s Options may
be exercised only to the extent that such Options would have been
exercisable by Participant on the Termination Date and must be
exercised by Participant (or Participant’s legal
representative or authorized assignee) no later than twelve (12)
months after the Termination Date (or such shorter time period as
may be specified in the Stock Option Agreement), but in any event
no later than the expiration date of the Options; provided,
however, that in the event of termination due to Disability other
than as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, any ISO that
remains exercisable after ninety (90) days after the date of
termination shall be deemed a NQSO.
5.7 Limitations on Exercise . The
Committee may specify a reasonable minimum number of Shares that
may be purchased on any exercise of an Option, provided that such
minimum number will not prevent Participant from exercising the
Option for the full number of Shares for which it is then
exercisable.
5.8 Modification, Extension or Renewal .
The Committee may modify, extend or renew outstanding Options and
authorize the grant of new Options in substitution therefore,
provided that any such action may not without the written consent
of Participant, impair any of Participant’s rights under any
Option previously granted. Any outstanding ISO that is modified,
extended, renewed or otherwise altered shall be treated in
accordance with Section 424(h) of the Code. The Committee may
reduce the Exercise Price of outstanding Options without the
consent of Participants affected by a written notice to them;
provided, however, that the Exercise Price may not be reduced below
the minimum Exercise Price that would be permitted under Section
5.4 of the Plan for Options granted on the date the action is taken
to reduce the Exercise Price.
5.9 No Disqualification . Notwithstanding
any other provision in the Plan, no term of the Plan relating to
ISOs shall be interpreted, amended or altered, nor shall any
discretion or authority granted under the Plan be exercised, so as
to disqualify the Plan under Section 422 of the Code or, without
the consent of the Participant affected, to disqualify any ISO
under Section 422 of the Code.
6. Restricted Stock. A Restricted Stock
Award is an offer by the Company to sell to an eligible person
Shares that are subject to restrictions. The Committee shall
determine to whom an offer will be made, the number of Shares the
person may purchase, the price to be paid (the “Purchase
Price”), the restrictions to which the Shares shall be
subject, and all other terms and conditions of the Restricted Stock
Award, subject to the following:
6.1 Form of Restricted Stock Award . All
purchases under a Restricted Stock Award made pursuant to the Plan
shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement (“Restricted Stock
Purchase Agreement”) that shall be in such form (which need
not be the same for each Participant) as the Committee, shall from
time to time approve, and shall comply with and be subject to the
terms and conditions of the Plan. The offer of Restricted Stock
shall be accepted by the Participant’s execution and delivery
of the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement and full payment for the
shares to the Company within thirty (30) days from the date the
Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement is delivered to the person. If
such person does not execute and deliver the Restricted Stock
Purchase Agreement along with full payment for the Shares to the
Company within thirty (30) days, then the offer shall terminate,
unless otherwise determined by the Committee.
6.2 Purchase Price . The Purchase Price
of Shares sold pursuant to a Restricted Stock Award shall be
determined by the Committee on the date the Restricted Stock Award
is granted but shall in no event less than the par value of the
Shares. Payment of the Purchase Price may be made in accordance
with Section 7 of the Plan.
6.3 Restrictions . Restricted Stock
Awards shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may
impose. The Committee may provide for the lapse of such
restrictions in installments and may accelerate or waive such
restrictions, in whole or in part, based on length of service,
performance or such other factors or criteria as the Committee may
determine. Restricted Stock Awards that the Committee intends to
qualify under Code section 162(m) shall be subject to a
performance-based goal. Restrictions on such stock shall lapse
based on one (1) or more of the following performance goals: stock
price, market share, sales increases, earning per share, return on
equity, cost reductions, or any other similar performance measure
established by the Committee. Such performance measures shall be
established by the Committee, in writing, no later than the earlier
of: (a) ninety (90) days after the commencement of the performance
period with respect to which the Restricted Stock award is made;
and (b) the date as of which twenty-five percent (25%) of such
performance period has elapsed.
7. Payment For Share Purchases
.
7.1 Payment . Payment for Shares
purchased pursuant to the Plan may be made in cash (by check) or,
where expressly approved for the Participant by the Committee and
where permitted by law:
|
|
(a) by cancellation of indebtedness
of the Company to the Participant;
|
|
|
(b) by transfer of Shares that
either (1) have been owned by Participant for more than six (6)
months and have been paid for within the meaning of SEC Rule 144;
or (2) were obtained by Participant in the public
market;
|
|
|
(c) by waiver of compensation due or
accrued to Participant for services rendered;
|
|
|
(d) by tender of
property;
|
|
|
(e) with a promissory note in favor
of the Company, which such note shall (1) provide for full recourse
to the maker, (2) be collateralized by the pledge of the Shares
that the Optionee purchases upon exercise of the Option, (3) bear
interest at the prime rate of the Company’s principal lender,
and (4) contain such other terms as the Committee in its sole
discretion shall reasonably require;
|